NEW ORLEANS – The New Orleans Startup Fund, a nonprofit venture fund, announced a seed investment in Actual Innovation Inc., a tech company innovating in text messaging. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Actual leveraged its SMS text message technology, TextHotline.com, to meet the massive demand for vaccination appointments. It automates the entire scheduling process, tapping into open appointment times and available vaccine inventories.
“Actual made a compelling business case prior to the pandemic, and it quickly pivoted to meet the rapidly growing demand for vaccine appointments. The startup has proven it is nimble and able to provide modern solutions to a range of challenges,” said Jimmy Roussel, CEO of the New Orleans Startup Fund, which is focused on accelerating the growth of early-stage companies in the Greater New Orleans Area.
Actual’s TextHotline.com allows those seeking vaccine appointments to scan a QR code or text a local number to begin the automated process. A sequence of text messages then collects all the necessary information, such as name and age; and then it offers available appointments for the patient to confirm. The entire process reduces the average phone call time from nine minutes down to 60 seconds for patients and to zero time for healthcare provider staff. After the appointment, TextHotline.com can automatically send reminders, notifications, and surveys.
